Vacuum cleaner and suction wand therefor

ABSTRACT

An upright vacuum cleaner has a handle by which it can be manoeuvred across a floor in a floor cleaning mode, the handle being part of a releasable suction wand which can be used in an above-floor cleaning mode. The suction wand has a first section which comprises the handle, a second section, and a third section which comprises a suction nozzle. The first section is movable relative to the second section between floor cleaning and above-floor cleaning positions. The third section is extendable and retractable relative to the second section. The suction wand has a linkage which is configured to couple movement of the first section towards one of said positions, and extension or retraction of the third section.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the priority of United Kingdom Application No.1611465.4, filed Jun. 30, 2016, the entire contents of which areincorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to vacuum cleaners, more particularlyupright vacuum cleaners.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are various types of vacuum cleaners available on the market, andthese can generally be categorized into ‘cylinder’, ‘upright’,‘handheld’ and ‘stick’ vacuum cleaners.

Handheld and stick vacuum cleaners are portable in the sense that theyare light enough to be carried in the hand rather than being supportedon the floor by a rolling assembly or the like. Handheld and stickvacuum cleaners are typically powered by batteries, and are often usedfor low-duty cleaning jobs such as spot-cleaning of floors, upholsteryand vehicle interiors.

Cylinder and upright vacuum cleaners are generally used as a household'sprimary vacuum cleaner, for heavy-duty cleaning tasks around the home.Cylinder vacuum cleaners have a main body with a suction generator and adust separator, and a suction wand connected to the base unit by aflexible hose. The suction generator pulls ‘dirty’ air from a surfaceinto the suction wand, through the hose, into the main body and into thedust separator. The dust separator removes dirt and debris entrained inthe air, and the ‘clean’ air is exhausted into the atmosphere. The usermoves the wand over a floor to be cleaned, pulling on the hose whennecessary so as to pull the main body (which is generally provided withwheels or castors) in the desired direction. When it is desired to cleanabove floor-level, for instance to clean furniture or the corners ofceilings, the user lifts the wand from the floor and directs itaccordingly (often after having changed or removed a cleaner headmounted on the wand).

A typical upright vacuum cleaner comprises a cleaner head, a rollingsupport assembly, and an ‘upright’ body which contains a dust separator.A suction generator is provided, generally within the rolling supportassembly or the upright body. In a floor cleaning mode, the suctiongenerator draws ‘dirty’ air into the dust separator through the cleanerhead, and exhausts ‘clean’ air to the atmosphere. The user grasps thehandle and reclines the upright body until the handle is disposed at aconvenient height for them. The user can then roll the vacuum cleaneracross the floor, using the handle, in order to direct the cleaner headover a floor to be cleaned.

Upright vacuum cleaners often include a suction wand which is releasablyattached to a main body, and is also connected to the main body by aflexible hose. When it is desired to clean above floor level, the usercan detach the suction wand from the main body and use it in a similarmanner to the wand of a cylinder vacuum cleaner. In this above-floorcleaning mode, the suction generator is connected to the wand (via thehose), rather than to the cleaner head.

In one type of known upright vacuum cleaner, to switch from floorcleaning mode to above-floor cleaning mode the wand must be detachedfrom both the main body and the hose of the vacuum cleaner, turnedaround by 180 degrees and then re-connected to the hose. Some users findthis operation relatively fiddly and/or time consuming, especially whenrepeatedly switching between the floor cleaning and above-floor cleaningmodes. Other designs of upright vacuum cleaner require utiliseexpensive, bulky or unreliable mechanisms for manipulating the wand whenswitching between modes.

It is one object of the present invention to mitigate or obviate one ofthe aforesaid disadvantages, and/or to provide an improved oralternative vacuum cleaner or suction wand.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is providedan upright vacuum cleaner that has a handle by which it can bemanoeuvred across a floor in a floor cleaning mode, the handle beingpart of a releasable suction wand which can be used in an above-floorcleaning mode, wherein the suction wand has a first section whichcomprises the handle, a second section, and a third section whichcomprises a suction nozzle; the first section is movable relative to thesecond section between floor cleaning and above-floor cleaningpositions; the third section is extendable and retractable relative tothe second section; and the suction wand has a linkage which isconfigured to couple movement of the first section towards one of saidpositions, and extension or retraction of the third section.

With the motion of the first and third sections being linked in thisway, the present invention allows one of the first and third sections tobe moved relative to the second section by moving the other. Forinstance, it may allow the third section to be extended by moving thefirst section to the above-floor cleaning position, and/or may allow thefirst section to be moved to the floor cleaning position by retractingthe third section. Accordingly, the suction wand of a vacuum cleaneraccording to the present invention can be reconfigured (for instancewhen transitioning between modes) simply by moving one of the first andthird sections relative to the second section. This may offer improvedsimplicity, speed and/or ease of use, for instance in comparison to theabove known type of vacuum cleaner where reconfiguring the wand whenswitching between modes requires the wand to be detached andre-attached.

The suction wand is preferably releasably attachable to a main body ofthe vacuum cleaner. In such an arrangement, the suction wand may beconnected to the main body (in particular when detached therefrom) by aflexible hose. The flexible hose is preferably extendable in length. Thevacuum cleaner is preferably configured such that the suction wand isattached to the main body in the floor cleaning mode, and detached fromthe main body (whilst potentially still being connected thereto by ahose or the like) in the above-floor cleaning mode.

The main body may comprise one or more of a rolling support assembly, adust separator, a generally upright structural support such as a‘spine’, a suction generator, and a cleaner head. In some embodiments,the main body comprises at least a rolling support assembly, a dustseparator and a suction generator.

The suction nozzle may be configured for attachment to a cleaning toolsuch as a dusting tool or a stair cleaning tool. Alternatively, thesuction nozzle may be configured to function as a cleaning tool itself.For instance, the suction nozzle may comprise a narrow tip for reachingunder furniture or into corners of a room.

It is to be understood that the above names of the modes of the vacuumcleaner are intended to be illustrative in nature. Although a vacuumcleaner according to the invention must be suitable for cleaning a floorwhen in the floor cleaning mode, and suitable for cleaning above floorlevel in the above-floor cleaning mode, it is not intended to imply thatuse of the vacuum cleaner is limited in this way. For instance, in someembodiments the vacuum cleaner may be suitable for cleaning the tops offurniture such as sofas when in the floor cleaning mode, and/or may besuitable for cleaning floor surfaces such as tight corners of rooms orspaces under low furniture when in the above-floor cleaning mode.

The suction wand is preferably substantially rigid.

The first section may be slidable between the floor cleaning andabove-floor cleaning positions. Alternatively or in addition, the thirdsection may be slidable to extend and retract it.

The linkage may be configured to couple movement of the first section inone direction relative to the second section, and extension orretraction of the third section in the opposite direction relative tothe second section.

The first section may be considered to be any body which comprises thehandle. In some embodiments the first section may be formed in itsentirety by the handle.

The linkage may be configured to couple movement of the first sectiontowards the above-floor cleaning position, and extension of the thirdsection.

In other words, the linkage may be arranged so that extending the thirdsection moves the first section towards the above-floor cleaningposition, and/or so that moving the first section towards theabove-floor cleaning position extends the third section.

This may be advantageous in that the third section can be automaticallyextended (thus potentially making the suction wand more able to reachinto remote locations) when an operator moves the handle to theabove-floor cleaning position (for instance so that the handle ispositioned to be grasped by a user when using the wand to vacuum abovethe floor). Or, conversely, the handle can automatically be moved to theabove-floor cleaning position when an operator extends the third sectionso as to increase the reach of the wand.

The linkage may be configured to couple movement of the first sectiontowards the floor cleaning position, and retraction of the thirdsection.

In other words, the linkage may be arranged so that retracting the thirdsection moves the first section towards the floor cleaning position,and/or moving the first section towards the floor cleaning positionretracts the third section.

This may be advantageous in that the third section can be automaticallyretracted (thus potentially making the suction wand more compact andmanoeuvrable as part of the vacuum cleaner as a whole) when an operatormoves the first section to the floor cleaning position (for instance sothat the handle is positioned to be grasped by a user to move the vacuumcleaner over a surface). Or, conversely, the first section canautomatically be moved to the position preferred for manoeuvring thevacuum cleaner over a floor when an operator retracts the third section.

As an alternative, the linkage may be configured to couple movement ofthe first section towards the above-floor cleaning position andretraction of the third section. For example, retracting the thirdsection may move the first section towards the above-floor cleaningposition. As another alternative, the linkage may be configured tocouple movement of the first section towards the floor cleaning positionand extension of the third section. For example, moving the firstsection towards the floor cleaning position may extend the thirdsection.

The linkage may be configured both to translate movement of the firstsection towards one of said positions into extension or retraction ofthe third section, and to translate extension or retraction of the thirdsection into movement of the first section towards one of saidpositions.

In other words, the linkage can be configured so that the first sectioncan be moved by moving the third section, and also so that the thirdsection can be moved by moving the first section. This may improve theease of use of the vacuum cleaner in that an operator may be free tomove whichever of the first and third sections is more convenient atthat time, that movement resulting in complementary movement of theother of the first and third sections.

As an alternative, the linkage may be configured to translate movementof only one of the first and third sections into movement of the other.

The linkage may be configured such that the third section can be bothextended and retracted by moving the first section between saidpositions in both directions, or such that the first section can bemoved between said positions in both directions by both extending andretracting the third section.

In other words, one of the first and third sections can be moved ineither direction by moving the other in either direction. This may beadvantageous in that the functionality discussed above (one of the firstand third sections moving automatically when a user moves the other) maybe extended so that the component which is moved automatically can bemoved in either direction. For instance, the vacuum cleaner may bearranged such that moving the first section towards the above-floorcleaning position extends the third section, and moving the firstsection towards the floor cleaning position retracts the third section.

As an alternative, movement of the first and third sections may only belinked in one direction of respective movement. For example, retractingthe third section may move the first section towards the floor cleaningposition, but extending the third section may not move the first sectiontowards the above-floor cleaning position.

Optionally, the linkage is configured to translate movement of the firstsection towards the floor cleaning position into retraction of the thirdsection; movement of the first section towards the above-floor cleaningposition into extension of the third section; retraction of the thirdsection into movement of the first section towards the floor cleaningposition; and extension of the third section into movement of the firstsection towards the above-floor cleaning position.

In such an arrangement, moving either of the first and third sections ineither direction can provide automatic complementary movement of theother section.

Optionally, with the first section in the above-floor cleaning position,the handle is positioned to be grasped by a user to manipulate the wandin the above-floor cleaning mode.

This may be beneficial in that the same handle can be grasped by a userwhether the vacuum cleaner is in the floor cleaning mode or theabove-floor cleaning mode. This, in turn, can reduce the bulk of thevacuum cleaner by eliminating the need for a separate handle, therebyenabling easier storage, improved manoeuvrability, better aestheticsand/or reduced material cost.

As an alternative, when in the above-floor cleaning position the handlemay be positioned so as to have a reduced impact on the size and/ormanoeuvrability of the suction wand. For instance, the handle may foldinto a stowed position when moved to the above-floor cleaning position,so that the suction wand is narrower and can reach into smaller spaces.In this embodiment a separate handle, positioned to be grasped by a userwhen the vacuum cleaner is in the above-floor cleaning mode, may beprovided. Alternatively, no such additional handle may be provided andthe user may simply grasp a portion of the wand.

The second section may be releasably attachable to a main body of thevacuum cleaner, and while attached thereto may be movable relative tothe main body between extended and retracted positions.

The ability to retract the second section may allow the vacuum cleanerto have a particularly compact configuration for storage, while stillallowing the second section to be extended when needed (for example soas to position the handle within easy reach of a user for use in thefloor cleaning mode).

The vacuum cleaner may have a flexible hose for connecting the suctionwand to the main body, and a portion of the second section may bereceived within the hose when in the retracted position. Preferably, atleast half or at least three quarters of the length of the secondsection may be received within the hose when the second section is inthe retracted position.

Preferably, when the second section is in the extended position at least75% of its length projects from the hose. For instance, when the secondsection is in the extended position substantially its entire length mayproject from the hose.

The linkage may comprise an elongate flexible member which runs betweenthe first and third sections, around a pulley point on the secondsection.

The elongate flexible member may be a single flexible component, such asa woven or sheet plastic strip, or may be an assembly of rigidcomponents such as a chain. The pulley point may be a plain axle or anaxle with a pulley wheel mounted thereon, or may take any other suitableform.

As an alternative, the first and third sections may be provided withcounterposed elongate racks of gear teeth which interact with oneanother via one or more intermediate gear wheels rotatably mounted onthe second section.

The use of an elongate flexible member running around a pulley point mayprovide an advantageously simple or low-maintenance linkage, a linkagewhich requires relatively relaxed manufacturing tolerances, and/or alinkage which can be arranged to occupy relatively little space. Forinstance, in contrast to the above arrangement utilising counterposedracks of gear teeth, an arrangement utilising an elongate flexiblemember may be less bulky, simpler and thus less difficult to assemble,less reliant on lubricant, and/or more tolerant of manufacturingvariation.

The elongate flexible member is preferably arranged whereby moving oneof the first and third sections pulls on the elongate flexible member,the elongate flexible member transmitting tension around the pulleypoint and pulling the other of the first and third sections.

The elongate flexible member may pass through an aperture in a wall ofthe second section. An edge of that aperture may form the pulley point.

The elongate flexible member may be movable to a position in which itruns along at least half of the length of the second section. Forinstance, the elongate flexible member may be movable to a position inwhich it runs along at least 70% or at least 85% of the length of thesecond section.

The elongate flexible member may be arranged in a substantiallycontinuous loop which has a first portion that runs from the firstsection to the third section around said pulley point, and a secondportion which runs from the first portion to the third portion around anadditional pulley point.

Such an arrangement may allow the linkage to pull one of the first andthird sections in either direction using the elongate flexible member.In contrast, if the elongate flexible member was an open loop, forinstance taking the general shape of a hairpin, it could only pull oneof the first and third section in one direction. Movement of thatsection in the other direction would therefore need to be provided byalternative means (unless the flexible elongate member was configured soas to be able to transmit compressive force as well as tensile force,which would place significant design constraints on the flexibleelongate member and the suction wand as a whole).

The additional pulley point may have the same general structure as thepulley point.

The second section may be elongate and define first and second ends.

The second section may be generally tubular.

The second section may have a generally flat wall and an arcuate wallarranged so that the second section is generally D-shaped inlongitudinal cross-section, and the elongate flexible member may belocated on the generally flat wall.

Optionally, the floor cleaning position of the first section is alocation nearer to the first end of the second section than the secondend, and the above-floor cleaning position of the first section is alocation nearer to the second end than the first end.

Further, the floor cleaning position of the first section may be alocation near to the first end of the second section, and theabove-floor cleaning position of the first section may be a locationnear to the second end. For instance, when in the first section is inthe floor cleaning position it may lie substantially entirely within thethird of the length of the second section which is nearest to the firstend thereof, and similarly when the first section is in the above-floorcleaning position it may lie substantially entirely within the third ofthe length of the second section which is nearest to the second end.

As an alternative, both positions of the first section may be nearer tothe same end of the second section than the other end. As anotheralternative, the floor cleaning and above-floor cleaning positions maybe different orientations of the handle at the same location on thesecond section.

The second section may define a longitudinal axis which runs from thefirst end to the second end. The handle may comprise a first gripportion which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis or inclined fromperpendicular towards the second end, and a second grip portion which isinclined from perpendicular towards the first end. This may make thehandle particularly comfortable to hold whether the user holds thehandle with the first end of the second section facing away from them(for instance when the vacuum cleaner is in the above-floor cleaningmode, in some embodiments), or with the second end facing away from them(for instance when the vacuum cleaner is in the floor cleaning mode, insome embodiments).

The upright vacuum cleaner may further comprise a main body with amounting point for a cleaner head, wherein the suction wand isreleasably attachable to the main body in a position in which the firstend of the second section projects generally away from the mountingpoint for the cleaner head.

This may allow the handle to be positioned at a beneficially accessiblelocation on the vacuum cleaner when the first section is in the floorcleaning position.

The vacuum cleaner may have a storage mode, and when in this mode thesuction wand may be positioned substantially vertically with its firstend uppermost.

The first, second and third sections of the wand may be arrangedtelescopically with respect to one another.

This may be a particularly strong, simple and/or compact arrangement ofthe sections of the suction wand.

The first section may be positioned radially outwards of the secondsection, and the third section may be positioned radially inwards of thesecond section. The first section being positioned radially outermost ofthe three sections may allow the handle (which is preferably positionedon the outer surface of the suction wand) to be connected to the firstsection with advantageous ease.

The above arrangement is not intended to exclude auxiliary componentsattached to (or integral with) one of the sections having a differentradial position. For example, the third section may have a radiallyenlarged suction nozzle which projects radially outwards beyond thesecond section, or the second section may have a key which projectsradially beyond the third section through a keyway therein.

In an arrangement where the third section is positioned radiallyoutwards of the second section and the third section is positionedradially inwards of the second section, the suction wand may furthercomprise a sleeve which is positioned radially inside the secondsection, the third section being positioned radially between the secondsection and the sleeve. This may increase the structural strength of theconnection between the second and third section, for instance allowingthe third section to be more rigidly supported relative to the secondsection, and/or may reduce the air leakage between the second and thirdsections.

As an alternative to telescopic arrangement, two or more of the first,second and third sections may be arranged side by side (for instanceusing a rail and runner arrangement). As another alternative, they maybe spaced apart from one another and connected by an additionalcomponent.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provideda suction wand for an upright vacuum cleaner according to the firstaspect of the invention.

A suction wand according to the second aspect of the invention may beretrofitted to a vacuum cleaner so as to provide one or more of theadvantages discussed above in relation to the first aspect of theinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way ofexample only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an upright vacuum cleaner according to afirst embodiment of the invention, in a storage mode;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the vacuum cleaner of FIG. 1 in anabove-floor cleaning mode;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a suction wand of thevacuum cleaner of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a lateral cross-sectional view of the suction wand of thevacuum cleaner, in the position shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a lateral cross-sectional view of the suction wand of thevacuum cleaner, in the position shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a lateral cross-sectional view of second and third sections ofthe suction wand, and a linkage of the suction wand;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the vacuum cleaner of FIGS. 1 and 3,with the suction wand in a retracted position;

FIG. 8 is a lateral cross-sectional view of the suction wand, in theposition shown in FIG. 7;

FIGS. 9A and 9B are schematic side views of part of an upright vacuumcleaner according to another embodiment of the invention; and

FIGS. 10A and 10B are schematic side views of part of an upright vacuumcleaner according to a further embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows an upright vacuum cleaner 2 according to a first embodimentof the invention. Like a standard upright vacuum cleaner, the vacuumcleaner 2 of this embodiment has a rolling support assembly 4, anupright body formed in this case from a generally upright spine 6 and adust separator 8 mounted to the spine, and a cleaner head 10. In thisembodiment rolling support assembly 4 comprises a pair of domed wheels12, and between the wheels is provided a mounting point 14 for thecleaner head 10. Further, in this particular embodiment a suctiongenerator (not visible), which has a motor and fan and is arranged todraw air into the dust separator 8, is provided inside the rollingassembly 4 in the space between the wheels 12. The rolling supportassembly 4 is positioned to support at least a portion of the weight ofthe vacuum cleaner 2 when in a floor cleaning mode, as discussed in moredetail below. FIG. 1 shows the vacuum cleaner 2 in a storage mode, wherethe weight of the machine is taken by the cleaner head 10 and a movablestand 15, and the wheels 12 are lifted slightly above the ground.

In this particular embodiment the dust separator 8 is a multi-stagecyclonic separator of generally conventional design, which has a firstcyclone stage comprising a single cyclone chamber 16 a, a second cyclonestage comprising a plurality of smaller cyclone chambers 16 b arrangedin parallel, and a filter (not visible). In other embodiments, however,the dust separator may take any other suitable form.

The cleaner head 10 of the vacuum cleaner 2 of this embodiment has agenerally conventional design, and will not be described in detail. Inthis case the cleaner head 10 is releasably mounted on the mountingpoint 14, enabling the cleaner head to be removed for storage or so thatit can be repaired or replaced. The cleaner head 10 is connectable tothe dust separator 8, via a changeover valve 20 which will be discussedin more detail below, so that the suction generator (not visible) candraw dirty air into the vacuum cleaner 2 through the cleaner head 16 andinto the dust separator 8.

The vacuum cleaner 2 also has a suction wand 22 which in this case isreleasably attachable to the spine 6. In this embodiment, the suctionwand 22 is substantially rigid. The skilled person will understand thatthere are numerous ways of releasably attaching a suction wand 22 to aspine 6 (or indeed to a different component of the vacuum cleaner), forinstance using interlocking lugs or ribs, an interference fit between anend of the wand and a complementary aperture, or a manually-operablerelease catch. The particular mechanism employed here is not ofsignificance to the present invention and therefore will not bedescribed in detail. The wand 22 has a handle 23 by which the vacuumcleaner 2 can be manoeuvred, as discussed in more detail below.

The body to which the suction wand 22 is releasably attachable isreferred to herein as the ‘main body’ 24. In this particular case, themain body 24 comprises the spine 6, the rolling support assembly 4 (andthus the suction generator contained therein), dust separator 8, stand15 and changeover valve 20. It should be noted, however, that in othercases the main body may be considered to include the cleaner head 10and/or exclude one or more of the above components (such as the dustseparator 8, which is removable for emptying in a known fashion).

In this embodiment, whether the suction wand 22 is attached to the spine6 or not, the suction wand is connected to the dust separator 8 (via thechangeover valve 20) by a flexible hose 26. In this case, the hose 26can be stretched along its axis to extend it, allowing the suction wand22 to move further away from the main body 24. The hose 26 of thisembodiment if of generally conventional type, having membrane wall witha helical reinforcing wire embedded therein.

As noted above, FIG. 1 shows the vacuum cleaner 2 of this embodiment ina storage mode. The vacuum cleaner 2 also has a floor cleaning mode andan above-floor cleaning mode. In this particular embodiment, to enterthe floor cleaning mode from the storage mode, the wand 22 and spine 6(and thus also the dust separator 8) are reclined relative to thecleaner head 10 (i.e. tilted clockwise from the perspective of FIG. 1).This disengages the stand 15, which rotates anticlockwise towards thechangeover valve 20 and brings the wheels 12 of the rolling supportassembly 4 into contact with the ground. In this particular case therolling support assembly 4 takes the majority of the weight of thevacuum cleaner 2, and the cleaner head 10 rests on the floor under onlyits own weight. In other embodiments, however, the cleaner head 10 maybe arranged to bear some, most or even all of the weight of the othercomponents of the vacuum cleaner 2.

With the spine 6, dust separator 8 and wand 22 in this reclinedposition, the changeover valve is positioned to connect the cleaner head10 to the dust separator 8. In this case, the changeover valve 20 ismoved to this position automatically upon reclining of the spine 6, inconventional fashion, however in other cases it may be operateddifferently (for instance it may be manually operated). The suctiongenerator (not visible) can therefore draw air up into the cleaner head10, entraining dust and debris from the surface on which the cleanerhead 10 is resting, and then into the dust separator 8. To use thevacuum cleaner 2 in this floor cleaning mode, the user grasps the handle23 of the suction wand 22 and uses it to manoeuvre the vacuum cleaner 2over the floor (in this case supported by the rolling support assembly4) so that the cleaner head 10 can pick up dust and debris fromdifferent regions thereof.

To enter the above-floor cleaning mode, the user detaches the suctionwand 22 from the main body 24 (in this case after having returned thespine 6 to the upright position and re-engaged the stand 15, if movingto the above-floor cleaning mode from the floor cleaning mode). Also,the changeover valve 20 is positioned so that the wand 22 and hose 26,rather than the cleaner head 10, is in communication with the dustseparator 8. In this case the changeover valve 20 automatically moved tothis position whenever the stand 15 is deployed, but again in otherembodiments which have a changeover valve a different mechanism may beprovided.

FIG. 2 shows the vacuum cleaner 2 of this embodiment in the above-floorcleaning mode. After entering this mode, the suction wand 22 can be heldby the handle 23 and directed into areas of a room above the floor, forinstance onto furniture or into corners of the ceiling, while the mainbody 24 remains stationary. The suction generator (not visible) drawsair into the wand through a suction nozzle 28, through the hose 26 andchangeover valve 20, and into the dust separator 8.

It will be apparent from FIGS. 1 and 2 that the configuration of thesuction wand 22 varies between the floor cleaning and above-floorcleaning modes. In particular, the wand is longer when in theabove-floor cleaning mode than when in the floor cleaning mode, and thehandle is in a different position. These differences will be discussedin more detail below, with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

The suction wand 22 has three sections, a first section 30 whichcomprises the handle 23, a second section 32, and a third section 34which comprises the suction nozzle 28. The first section 30, and thusthe handle 23, is movable relative to the second section 32 between afloor cleaning position and an above-floor cleaning position (the twopositions shown in FIGS. 1 and 2), and the third section is extendableand retractable (i.e. is movable between retracted and extendedpositions, the two positions shown in FIGS. 1 and 2). In this embodimentthe first and third sections 30, 34 are each slidably mounted relativeto the second section 32, however in other embodiments one or bothsections 30, 34 may be mounted to the second section 32 so as to bemovable relative to it through a different type of motion, such aspivoting movement or non-sliding relative translation.

In this particular case, with the vacuum cleaner 2 in the floor cleaningmode the first section 30 is in the floor cleaning position and thethird section 34 is in the retracted position, and with the vacuumcleaner 2 in the above-floor cleaning mode the first section 30 is inthe above-floor cleaning position and the third section is in theextended position. With the first section 30 in the floor cleaningposition the handle 23 is positioned at a convenient location for a userto manoeuvre the vacuum cleaner over a floor in the floor cleaning mode.With the first section 30 in the above-floor cleaning position thehandle 23 is positioned at a convenient location for a user to manoeuvrethe suction wand 22 to vacuum above the floor. FIG. 1 shows the firstsection 30 in the floor cleaning position and the third section 34 inthe retracted position, and FIG. 2 shows the first section 30 in theabove-floor cleaning position and the third section 34 in the extendedposition. It should be noted that in FIG. 1 only a nozzle structure 36of the third section 34, on which the suction nozzle 28 is provided, isvisible in FIG. 1. The third section 34 being retracted when the vacuumcleaner 2 is in the floor cleaning mode can improve the manoeuvrabilityof the vacuum cleaner, and the third section being extended when thevacuum cleaner is in the above-floor cleaning mode can increase thereach of the suction wand 22, as discussed in more detail below.

As shown more clearly in FIG. 2, the second section 32 of the suctionwand 22 is elongate, defining a first end 38 and a second end 40. Asalso shown in this figure, when the suction wand 22 is attached to themain body 24, it is positioned so that its first end 38 projectsgenerally away from the mounting point 14 of the cleaner head 10 (andthus projects away from the cleaner head when this is mounted to themounting point). In this particular embodiment, when the vacuum cleaner2 is in the storage mode (and the suction wand 22 is attached to themain body 24) the suction wand is positioned generally upright with itsfirst end 38 uppermost.

The first, second and third sections 30, 32, 34 of the suction wand 22of this embodiment are arranged telescopically with respect to oneanother in that the three sections are ‘nested’ partially or fullywithin one another. In this case, the third section 30 is positionedradially outwards of the second section 32 (relative to the longitudinalaxis of the second section), and the third 34 section is positionedradially inwards of the second section 32. However, the nozzle structure36 of the third section is radially enlarged and extends radially beyondthe second section (in a manner similar to how the eye-piece of acollapsible telescope projects outwards beyond the adjacent segment).

A cross-section of the suction wand, at position ‘A’ in FIG. 1, is shownin FIG. 3. From this figure it can be seen that both the second andthird sections 32, 34 are hollow in cross section, having a central void42. They are therefore both generally tubular in shape (as is the firstsection 30 if one discounts the handle 23, but this is not visible inFIG. 3). In the above-floor cleaning mode of the vacuum cleaner 2, thecentral voids 42 of the three sections co-operatively provides a path bywhich dirty air entering the suction nozzle 28 can pass along the wand22 and into the hose 26.

As is also shown in FIG. 3, the second and third sections 32, 34 aregenerally D-shaped in cross section, each having a generally flat wall44 and an arcuate wall 46. In this case the arcuate wall 46 of eachsection 32, 34 takes the form of a major sector of a hollow cylinder.This non-circular shape provides a high inner volume for air to flow,while being non-circular so that relative rotation of the sections 32,34 is limited. The first section 30 has a generally D-shaped aperture(not shown), which receives the second section 32, for the same reasons.

FIG. 3 also shows an additional tube 48, positioned radially inward ofthe third section 34. This tube 48 is fixed relative to the secondsection, and increases the structural support offered to the thirdsection 34 (since the second section 32 supports the third section fromthe outside, and the tube 48 supports it from the inside). The tube 48also improves the sealing between the second and third sections 32, 34,so less air outside the wand 22 can be sucked into the wand betweenthese sections (which would reduce the flow rate of air drawn into thewand through the suction nozzle, thereby reducing dust entrainment andthus cleaning performance).

In this particular embodiment, the floor cleaning position of the firstsection 30 is located at the first end 38 of the second section 32, andthe above-floor cleaning position of the first section is located at thesecond end 40 of the second section. Further, in this embodiment thethird section 34 extends and retracts with respect to the first end 38of the second section 32.

As will be apparent from FIGS. 1 and 2, changing the vacuum cleaner 2between modes involves moving both the first section 30 and the thirdsection 34 relative to the second section 32. In this particular case,changing from the floor cleaning mode to the above-floor cleaning modeinvolves moving the first section 30 to the above-floor cleaningposition by moving it from the first end 38 of the second section 32 tothe second end 40, and extending the third section 34. Similarly, inthis case changing from the above-floor cleaning mode to the floorcleaning mode involves moving the first section 30 to the floor cleaningposition by moving it from the second end 40 of the second section 32 tothe first end 38, and retracting the third section 34.

In the present invention, movement of the first section 30 towards oneof the floor cleaning and above-floor cleaning positions, and extensionor retraction of the third section 34, is coupled by a linkage. Thiswill be discussed in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5,which show cross sections of the suction wand 22 with the vacuum cleaner2 in the floor cleaning and above-floor cleaning positions respectively,and FIG. 6 which shows the two ends of the second section 32 in moredetail but does not show the first section 30.

The linkage 50 of this embodiment comprises an elongate flexible member52, which in this embodiment takes the form of a woven polymer belt in acontinuous loop, and two pulley points 54 a, 54 b provided on the secondsection 32. In this embodiment, the elongate flexible member 52 has afirst portion 56 a which runs between mounting points 57, 59 on thefirst and third sections 30, 34 respectively, around one of the pulleypoints 54 a. It also has and a second portion 56 b which runs betweenthe mounting points 57, 59 of first and third sections 30, 34 around theother of the pulley points 54 b. In this case, each of the pulley points54 a, 54 b takes the form of a plain axle formed by a pin 58 a, 58 bembedded in the second section 32, transverse to the longitudinal axisof the second section (which is vertical in FIGS. 4 to 6), so as to forman edge of an aperture 60 a, 60 b through which the associated portion56 a, 56 b of the elongate flexible member 52 passes. As shown mostclearly in FIGS. 3 and 6, the belt 52 runs along the second section 32,both on its outside and on its inside, between the pivot points 54 b. Inthis case the belt 52 is provided on (and in this case runs through) theflat wall 44 of the second section.

As outlined below, the linkage 50 of this embodiment couples movement ofthe first and third sections 30, 34 in several different (mutuallycomplementary) ways. In other embodiments, however, the linkage maycouple movement of these sections in only one or some of the waysdiscussed below, and/or in one or more different ways which are notdiscussed in relation to this embodiment.

In the present embodiment, the linkage 50 is configured to couplemovement of the first section 30 towards the above-floor cleaningposition, and extension of the third section 34. In other words,extending the third section 34 (for instance by hand) results inmovement of the first section 30 towards the above-floor cleaningposition, or moving the first section 30 towards the above-floorcleaning position results in extension of the third section 34. In thisparticular embodiment, both of the above are true—the linkage isconfigured both to translate movement of the first section 30 towardsthe above-floor cleaning position into extension of the third section34, and to translate extension of the third section 34 into movement ofthe first section 30 towards the above-floor cleaning position. In otherwords, either one of the first and third sections 30, 34 can be moved bymoving the other one.

In this embodiment, the above functionality is provided by the firstportion 56 a of the belt 52 in conjunction with the corresponding pulleypoint 54 a. If a user moves the first section 30 towards the above-floorcleaning position (downwards from the perspective of FIGS. 4-6), thisapplies tension to the first portion 56 a of the belt 52. The firstportion 56 a transmits this tension around the pulley point 54 a and tothe third section 34, pulling the third section towards the extendedposition (upwards from the perspective of FIGS. 4-6). Similarly, if auser extends the third section 34 this applies tension to the firstportion 56 a of the belt 52. This tension is transmitted by the firstportion 56 a around the pulley point 54 a and to the first section 30,pulling the first section towards the above-floor cleaning position.

In addition to the above, in this embodiment the linkage 50 is alsoconfigured to couple movement of the first section 30 towards the floorcleaning position, and retraction of the third section 34. In otherwords, moving the first section 30 towards the floor cleaning positionresults in retraction of the third section 34, or retracting the thirdsection 34 results in movement of the first section 30 towards the floorcleaning position. In this particular embodiment, both of the above aretrue—the linkage is configured both to translate movement of the firstsection 30 towards the floor cleaning position into retraction of thethird section 34, and to translate retraction of the third section 34into movement of the first section 30 towards the floor cleaningposition.

In the present embodiment, this functionality is provided by the secondportion 56 b of the elongate flexible member 52 in conjunction withpulley point 54 b. If a user moves the first section 30 towards thefloor cleaning position (upwards from the perspective of FIGS. 4-6),this pulls on the second portion 56 n of the belt 52, which transmitsthis tension around the pulley point 54 b and pulls the third sectiontowards the retracted position (downwards from the perspective of FIGS.4-6). Similarly, if a user retracts the third section 34, this pulls onthe second portion 56 b of the belt 52 which transmits tension aroundthe pulley point 54 a and pulls the first section 30 towards the floorcleaning position.

It is noteworthy that in this embodiment, the third section 34 can beboth extended and retracted by moving the first section 30 between thefloor cleaning and above-floor cleaning positions in both directions(i.e. in this case the third section can be both extended by moving thefirst section towards the above-floor cleaning position, and retractedby moving the first section towards the floor cleaning mode). It is alsoof note that in this case the first section 30 can be moved between thefloor cleaning and above-floor cleaning positions in both directions byboth extending and retracting the third section 34 (i.e. in this casethe first section can be moved towards the floor cleaning position byretracting the third section 34, and moved towards the above-floorcleaning position by extending the third section). In summary, in thisparticular embodiment the linkage 50 is configured to translate movementof the first section 30 towards the floor cleaning position intoretraction of the third section 34; movement of the first section 30towards the above-floor cleaning position into extension of the thirdsection 34; retraction of the third section 34 into movement of thefirst section 30 towards the floor cleaning position; and extension ofthe third section 34 into movement of the first section 30 towards theabove-floor cleaning position.

It will be apparent from the above that in the present embodiment, thelinkage 50 is configured to translate movement of one of the first andthird sections 30, 34 in one direction relative to the second section32, and movement of the other of the first and third sections in theopposite direction. In the present embodiment, this means that extendingthe third section 34 moves the first section in the opposite direction(or vice versa). The distance between the handle 23 and the suctionnozzle 28 is therefore increased, meaning that the ‘reach’ of thesuction wand 22 is increased when the vacuum cleaner is in theabove-floor cleaning mode (i.e. when the wand 22 is being used to reachinto remote locations).

As shown most clearly in FIGS. 4 and 6, the elongate flexible member 52runs along the longitudinal axis of the second section 32, throughsubstantially the entire length of the second section. This canadvantageously increase the range of motion of the components connectedthereto (i.e. the first and third sections 30, 34 in this case). Forinstance, if the flexible elongate member 52 only ran along half thelength of the second section 32 then the first section 30 could onlymove half way along the second section and the third section 34 couldonly extend half as far (in the absence of a relatively complex gearingarrangement or the like). In the present embodiment the elongateflexible member 52 always runs along substantially the entire length ofthe second section 32, because the elongate flexible member is acontinuous loop and does not change absolute position relative to thesecond section 32. In other embodiments, however, for instance where theelongate flexible member has a hairpin-type shape the ends of which moveup and down the second section so as to move the first and thirdsections, the elongate flexible member may only run along a particularlength of the second section in some positions.

In the vacuum cleaner 2 of this embodiment, the suction wand 22 can beretracted relative to the main body 24 while attached thereto. Thisreduces the vertical height of the vacuum cleaner 2 when in the storagemode, enabling the vacuum cleaner to be stored in smaller spaces. Moreparticularly, the second section 32 of the suction wand 22 is movablerelative to the main body 24 between an extended position in whichsubstantially its entire length projects from the hose 26, and aretracted position in which it a portion of it (in this case around twothirds of its length) is received within the hose. The second section 32is shown in the extended position relative to the main body 24 in FIG.1, and is shown in the retracted position relative to the main body inFIG. 7. The relative positions of the second section 32 and the hose 26when the second section is in the retracted position is more clear inFIG. 8, which is a cross-section showing only the suction wand 22, thehose 26 and the spine 6.

Since in the present embodiment the second section 32 of the suctionwand 22 is received inside the hose 26, this places an additional designconstraint on the second section 32 (and thus on the components whichmust interact with the second section). In the present case, theinternal diameter of the hose 26 is 32 mm, and therefore the outerdiameter of the second section 32 (or at least the part which isreceivable within the hose) must not exceed 32 mm. Referring back toFIG. 3, the belt 52 being provided on the flat wall 44 of the secondsection 32 is beneficial in this regard. The second section can have anotional diameter of 32 mm about most of its circumference (or slightlyless, to allow a slight clearance to allow easy sliding movement, and toallow for manufacturing variation), so as to maximise airflow throughthe void 42. The presence of the flat wall 44, however, provides spaceon the outside of the second section for the belt 52 to run, withoutexceeding 32 mm in diameter and rubbing against the hose 26. To give thebelt 52 extra protection from any potential contact with the hose 26,the belt runs between a pair of protective ribs 62. A further pair ofribs 64 are provided on the inside of the second section 32, to protectthe belt 52 from abrasion from the third section 34.

It will be appreciated that numerous modifications to the abovedescribed embodiment may be made without departing from the scope ofinvention as defined in the appended claims. For instance, whilst theabove embodiment utilises a rolling support assembly, in otherembodiments the weight of the vacuum cleaner may be borne entirely bythe cleaner head, by a support assembly provided with skids rather thanwheels or rollers, or in any other suitable way. Similarly, although inthe above embodiment the third section is extended in the above-floorcleaning mode, so as to increase the reach of the wand, otherembodiments may function differently. For instance, in some embodimentsthe third section may be extended when in the floor cleaning mode, andretracted when in the above-floor cleaning mode so that the wand is moremanoeuvrable inside cupboards and underneath furniture.

Whilst in the above embodiment the two positions of the first sectionare at different ends of the second section, in other embodiments thetwo positions may take another form. Indeed, although it is preferredfor the two positions of the first section to be different locations onthe second section, in other embodiments this may not be the case. FIGS.9A and 9B show schematic representations of another embodiment of theinvention, where the first section 30′ moves between floor cleaning andabove-floor cleaning positions while staying at the same location on thesecond section 32′ Corresponding features are given the same referencenumeral, followed by a single prime. In this embodiment, to change fromthe floor cleaning mode (shown in FIG. 9A) to the above-floor cleaningmode (shown in FIG. 9B), the first section 30′ is rotated 180 degreesrelative to the second section 32′ about an axis B that is perpendicularto the longitudinal axis C of the second section 32′. The linkage inthis embodiment may take the form of a pinion gear which is rotatablewith the third section about the axis B, which is meshed with a toothedrack positioned on the third section 34′.

Furthermore, in embodiments where moving the first section betweenpositions does involve moving the third section between locations on thesecond section, the first and third sections need not travel in oppositedirections. Indeed, in some embodiments the first and third sections maytravel in the same direction. FIGS. 10A and 10B show schematicrepresentations of such an embodiment of the invention. Correspondingfeatures are given the same reference numeral, followed by a doubleprime. In this case, to change from the floor cleaning mode (shown inFIG. 10A) to the above-floor cleaning mode (shown in FIG. 10B) the firstsection 30″ is moved in the same direction as that in which the thirdsection 34″ extends. Moving the handle 23″ in the direction in which thethird section 34″ is to move may be particularly intuitive for someusers. The linkage in this embodiment may take the form of toothed racksprovided on the first and third sections 30″, 34″ which interact througha set of gears provided therebetween, those gears being arranged so asto ‘gear up’ the motion of the third section so that a small movement ofthe first section results in a larger movement of the third section.

Whilst the first embodiment of the invention utilises a flexibleelongate member in the form of a continuous loop, other embodiments mayhave a flexible elongate member which is a substantially continuous loopbut which has one or more breaks in it. For instance, such asubstantially continuous loop may be formed from two separate strips,the two strips being connected to one another via small portions of thefirst and third sections so that they co-operatively function in thesame way as a continuous loop. Further, in other embodiments with aflexible elongate member that member may not be in the shape of a loopat all. For instance, an embodiment may have the same general structureas the first embodiment but may only have a flexible elongate member inthe shape of the first section (whereupon the ability to move either thefirst or third section in either direction by moving the other sectionwould no longer be provided).

For the avoidance of doubt, the optional and/or preferred featuresdescribed above may be utilised in any suitable combinations, and inparticular in the combinations set out in the appended claims. Featuresdescribed in relation to one aspect of the invention may also be appliedto another aspect of the invention, where appropriate.

1. An upright vacuum cleaner that has a handle by which it can bemanoeuvred across a floor in a floor cleaning mode, the handle beingpart of a releasable suction wand which can be used in an above-floorcleaning mode, wherein: the suction wand has a first section whichcomprises the handle, a second section, and a third section whichcomprises a suction nozzle; the first section is movable relative to thesecond section between a floor cleaning position and an above-floorcleaning position; the third section is extendable and retractablerelative to the second section; and the suction wand has a linkage thatis configured to couple movement of the first section towards one of thefloor cleaning and above-floor cleaning positions and extension orretraction of the third section.
 2. The upright vacuum cleaner of claim1, wherein the linkage is configured to couple movement of the firstsection towards the above-floor cleaning position, and extension of thethird section.
 3. The upright vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein thelinkage is configured to couple movement of the first section towardsthe floor cleaning position, and retraction of the third section.
 4. Theupright vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the linkage is configuredboth to translate movement of the first section towards one of saidpositions into extension or retraction of the third section, and totranslate extension or retraction of the third section into movement ofthe first section towards one of said positions.
 5. The upright vacuumcleaner of claim 1, wherein the linkage is configured such that thethird section can be both extended and retracted by moving the firstsection between said positions in both directions, or such that thefirst section can be moved between said positions in both directions byboth extending and retracting the third section.
 6. The upright vacuumcleaner of claim 1, wherein with the first section in the above-floorcleaning position, the handle is positioned to be grasped by a user tomanipulate the wand in the above-floor cleaning mode.
 7. The uprightvacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the second section is releasablyattachable to a main body of the vacuum cleaner, and while attachedthereto is movable relative to the main body between extended andretracted positions.
 8. The upright vacuum cleaner of claim 1, whereinthe linkage comprises an elongate flexible member which runs between thefirst and third sections, around a pulley point on the second section.9. The upright vacuum cleaner of claim 8, wherein the elongate flexiblemember is arranged in a loop which has a first portion that runs fromthe first section to the third section around said pulley point, and asecond portion which runs from the first portion to the third portionaround an additional pulley point.
 10. The upright vacuum cleaner ofclaim 1, wherein the second section is elongate and defines first andsecond ends.
 11. The upright vacuum cleaner of claim 10, wherein thefloor cleaning position of the first section is a location nearer to thefirst end of the second section than the second end, and the above-floorcleaning position of the first section is a location nearer to thesecond end than the first end.
 12. The upright vacuum cleaner of claim10, further comprising a main body with a mounting point for a cleanerhead, wherein the suction wand is releasably attachable to the main bodyin a position in which the first end of the second section projects awayfrom the mounting point for the cleaner head.
 13. The upright vacuumcleaner of claim 1, wherein the first, second and third sections of thewand are arranged telescopically with respect to one another.
 14. Asuction wand for an upright vacuum cleaner, the suction wand beingconfigured for using in an above-floor cleaning mode and a floorcleaning mode and comprising: a first section that comprises a handlefor maneuvering the upright vacuum cleaner across a floor in the floorcleaning mode, a second section, and a third section that comprises asuction nozzle, wherein the first section is movable relative to thesecond section between a floor cleaning position and an above-floorcleaning position, the third section is extendable and retractablerelative to the second section, and the suction wand has a linkage thatis configured to couple movement of the first section towards one of thefloor cleaning and above-floor cleaning positions and extension orretraction of the third section.